


A Reluctant Caretaker

by I May Age Regress (shnuffeluv)



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Drawing, Gen, Hugs, Inspired By Tumblr, Light Angst, Napping, Non-Sexual Age Play, Sympathetic Deceit Sanders
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-02
Updated: 2019-05-02
Packaged: 2020-02-15 19:34:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18676069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shnuffeluv/pseuds/I%20May%20Age%20Regress
Summary: Deceit is alone with Roman when Roman regresses from excitement over Disney movies. What can he do to make sure that Roman doesn't kill himself on accident before the others return?





	A Reluctant Caretaker

"Roman, get down off the table!" Deceit said, forehead creased in a deep frown in his best attempt to look serious. He honestly didn't know what he had done to deserve this sort of punishment, but he definitely hated the others now. "You're going to crack your skull open!"

The regressed prince in question just frowned down at him, plastic sword (Deceit was just glad it wasn't the real one) still held high. "But I can't defeat the Dragon Witch from the ground! She can fly!"

"Yeah, well, you might have to wait to defeat the Dragon Witch anyway. I don't see her around here, do you?" Deceit asked patiently.

Roman pouted, but jumped off the table. "You're no fun," he said, glaring down at Deceit.

Deceit would  _not_  be intimidated by a toddler who happened to be taller than he was. "Let's just go back to watch more Disney movies, okay?"

Roman sighed dramatically. "But I already watched so many of them! And I'm too happy to sit down and watch more right now!"

"Don't be ridiculous," Deceit said. "You can sit down and focus on a single project for hours at a time! Of course you can sit through one movie!"

"I don't  _want to_  sit through a movie!" Roman protested.

Deceit winced at the sheer volume of Roman's outburst, and he could faintly hear Thomas asking the other three, who were currently practicing for a video, what was going on. Deceit growled. "Everything is just  _peachy!"_  he shouted to the ceiling.

Roman was glaring at him, and Deceit glared right back. "So you don't want to watch a movie. And I won't let you climb on the furniture. Is there anything  _else_  you might want to do?"

"No," Roman said, stubborn as ever.

Deceit hissed under his breath and wracked his brain for what to do. Logan would discipline Roman for acting out of line, usually with a stern-talking to, but Roman didn't take Deceit seriously. Patton would go the distraction route, but Roman was clearly not interested in movies. And Virgil...Virgil would pretend to be some villain that Roman could whack with his sword. And Deceit wasn't in the mood for that. He yawned, it was getting late and Thomas should have been going to bed soon.

Roman stared at him in wonder as soon as he closed his mouth and Deceit frowned. "What?" he asked.

"Your mouth is  _huge_ _!"_  Roman exclaimed. "You just...split your face in two!"

"Snakes have bigger jaws than humans," Deceit said simply. "What's your point?"

"That was cool!" Roman exclaimed. "Do it again?"

Deceit resisted the urge to roll his eyes and opened his mouth as wide as it would go. Roman looked starstruck. "Woah!" he exclaimed. "That's...that's...amazing!"

Struck with a thought, Deceit hoped that he had the charisma and charm to pull this off. "Roman, you know, I don't think the others would believe you if you told them about this. Or, they might believe you, but they might not understand what you mean when you say how big I can open my jaw."

Roman looked interested, albeit confused. Deceit had to play this exactly right. "What do you mean? I  _saw_  you! You can do it!"

"But they might misunderstand. You know how they can be. Logan is too literal, and Patton doesn't always seem to understand the big picture. Virgil might believe you, but he wouldn't be able to explain it either. Why don't you show them how I can do it?"

Roman frowned. "But...the others don't like it when you're around. 'Specially when I'm small."

Deceit ignored the small sting in his heart at that statement and reasoned that what he felt wasn't bitterness or jealousy. Maybe just a touch of indigestion. "Why don't you draw what it looks like, then?" Deceit offered. "I can help you get the paper and whatever you want to use to draw, and you could draw what it looks like."

Roman stared at him a long moment before his entire face lit up. "That could work! You're good at this problem-solving thing!" Roman exclaimed.

Deceit's lips twitched up in victory. Definitely not at being praised, nope, not at all. "Shall we head to your room?"

"Yeah!" Roman said, taking Deceit's hand and sprinting through the halls.

Deceit held onto his hat for dear life and said, "Roman! Stop running indoors!"

Roman just laughed and dragged Deceit into his room, running around and picking up crayons, construction paper, and glitter glue. Deceit felt his stomach drop. Maybe this wasn't the best idea. But it was keeping Roman occupied for now, so he would live with it.

They went back to the common room and Roman got situated on the floor at the coffee table. "Open your mouth!" he instructed Deceit.

This time, Deceit did roll his eyes, but did as told.

"You have fangs too?! Lucky!" Roman exclaimed as he started to draw Deceit.

Deceit watched Roman draw. Even when little, he was somewhat careful. It wasn't the prettiest job he'd ever done, but he put a lot of heart into it. "You're making me look like a monster with all those sharp teeth," Deceit noted, walking over.

"No! I'm making you smile, see? You're not a monster!" Roman exclaimed.

Deceit frowned and looked down at the picture. From where he was standing, it looked more like a grimace than a smile that Roman was drawing, but he stayed silent.

As time wore on and Roman continued his drawing, Deceit sat down on the couch, wondering what was taking the others so long, and when they could finally go to sleep. Glitter glue was added generously to the paper, and Roman sat back, inpecting his work. "Yeah!" he said desicively. "That looks like you!"

Deceit leaned over to look at the page, and he observed that Roman had done his best to make Deceit look somewhat friendly. No one had ever done that for him before. So even if he did look a bit like a fanged monster, he smiled at Roman. "You did a good job, Roman," he praised. "Thanks for trying to make me look nice."

"You  _are_  nice!" Roman exclaimed. "You help Thomas in your own way! The others don't always like your methods but you do your best, just like we do! And you can't help that you use deceit as your methods. It's not fair to judge you based on what you look like instead of what you are."

Roman was solemn at that last sentence, and Deceit offered Roman a slight smirk. "You know about that too, don't you?"

"Yeah," Roman said sadly. "But! I'm not gonna focus on it! I regressed 'cause I'm happy, I don't wanna not be happy and wind up not being able to talk!"

Deceit nodded, and was taken aback when Roman climbed onto the couch and gave Deceit a hug. "What...what are you doing?" he asked.

"Hugging you," Roman said.

"I got that," Deceit said. "Why?"

"Because I realized no one's hugged you before, at least that I've seen," Roman said. "And you need to know how hugs feel."

Deceit tentatively hugged Roman back, and it didn't take long before Roman's breathing was evening out and he was passed out on Deceit's lap. He laughed a little in disbelief. The little prince didn't even seem tired five minutes ago. But now he couldn't move, he didn't want to wake up Roman. Carefully, he took off his hat and covered his eyes with it. When in Rome, after all, and it wasn't like he could do anything else.

Within a few moments, both Deceit and Roman were asleep on the couch, Roman snuggling into Deceit's side, and Deceit with a protective arm around Roman. He would never admit this to anyone, but he secretly liked Roman a little more after this, even if he was a handful.

**Author's Note:**

> Any and all comments appreciated, provided, y'know, it's not flames!


End file.
